Electrically-controlled indicating instrument



Dec. 27, 1927. 1,653,947

H. 1.. DECKER ELECTRICALLY CQNTROLLED INDICATING INSTRUMENT Filed Aug. 23. 1926 Patented Dec. 27,1927.

UNITED 'STATES HUGH-L. nnoxnn, or romino; oHIo, ASSIGNOR TO THE w. e. NAGEL ELECTRIC GOM- I 1,653,947 PATENT OFFICE.

IPA NY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ELECTRIOALLY-OONTROLLED INDIOATING INSTRUMENT.

Application filed August 23, 1926. Serial Ito. 130,914.

This invention relates to electrically controlled indicating instruments and particularly to indicating instruments for use in remotely controlled. indicating systems.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an instrument having a very wide range ofmovement of the indicator vane.

Another object of this invention 1s to proride an instrument in which a separate winding is utilized to energize the armature to predetermined intensity in one direction and in which; actuating 'coils act upon the energized armature.

Other objects and advantages/will appear from a consideration "of the specification and appended drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a face view of the indicating dial of an instrument constructed in accordance with m invention.

Fig. 2 is an eni a tions of the armature support broken away to more clearly show the armature, of the instrument shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the armature showing an end elevational view of one of the actuating coils taken substantially on line III'III of Fig. 2.

Fig. A: is a detailed sectional view of the armature mounting taken substantially on line IVIV, of Figs 2; and

Fig. 5 is'a. diagrammatic view of a control system for use with the indicating instrument. p

An indicating instrument of the character herein shown comprises a field coil 10, and a pair of spaced actuating coils 11 and 12 that are adapted to be difierentiallyenergized to control the movement of an armature 13 of magnetizablematerial that is pivotally supported from a suitable pivot stafi l i by a bracket 15 of non-magnetic material. Each of theooils or solenoids 10, 11, and 12 is of open ended hollow form in order that the armature 13 may extend through each of the coils as particularly shown in Fig. 3;

The pivot staff 14: of the armature has an adjustable pivot support 16 formed in the instrument base 17 arid a pivot support 18' formed in a cross mpmber 19 that is carried rged plan view with porcarried by the armature stafi 14 to bring the ind cator vane 21 to its extreme left-hand pos1t1on when the instrument is deenergize d. The armature is otherwise free to move between its extreme positions within the hollow solenoids. The bracket 15 .of

non-magnetic material has a pair of clamp- 1ng ears 24 on each arm fon securing the armature in place.

A contact terminal post 25 is carried by the base and connected to each of the solenold windings 10 and 11. A second terminal post 26 is connected to the other terminal of the solenoid winding 10 and to one terminal of the winding of solenoid 12. The remaining terminals of. solenoid windings 11 and 12 are connected to a common ter- -minal post 27.

A control system for use with the above described instrument is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 5 wherein the various windlngs are numbered in accordance with the numbering oi the respective solenoids in Fig. 2 and wherein the contact terminal posts are also correspondingly numbered, in order to diagrammatically indicate the in= strument connections. The field-producing solenoid 10 is energized in accordance with the voltage of the source of energy 28 which may be either alternating or direct current although it is shown in this instance as direct current supplied from a suitable storage battery. The actuating windings 11 and 12 are ronnected in series relation across the source of energy and the common terminal of the actuating windings is connected to a suitable contact member 29 that moves over a resistance unit 30, or other'imp'edance varying device located at any suitable place, to differentially energize windings 11 and 12 in accordance with movements of the contact member 29. The connections between the various windings and the terminal posts 25, 26 and 27 are diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 5.

The operation of the instrument is substantially as follows:

The field coil 10 energizes the armature 13 in accordance with the electromotive force and polarity of the source of energy. The coils 11 and 12 either tend to draw the armature toward one of them, by reason-of its polarity, or to repel the armature. The action ofthe two. windings 11 and 12 is to .tend to operate the armature in different directions in order that the armature may be moved to different stable indicating positions by different degrees of energization of the differentially excited windings 11 and 12. It will, therefore, be seen that the indicator vane 21 will be carried to a multiplicity of stable indicating positions by the movement of the armature in response to changes in the control impedance contact 29.

"From the above electrical relations it will be seen that the armature 13 is energized to v a uniform degree for all indicating positions.

The energization of coil 10 is substantially constant. The energization of coils 11 and 12 is differentially controlled and, therefore, as the magnetizing influence 11 increases the magnetizing influence of the Winding 12 decreases. If the magnetization of all of these windings is cumulative, it will be apparent that the resultant energization of the armature will be always of the same degree and in the same direction.

What I claim is:

1. An indicating instrument comprising a base, a hollow field coil carried thereby, a magnetizable armature of arcuate form pivotally mounted and extending completely through the coil, an actuating coil mounted on one side of said field coil, a second actuating coil mounted on the other side of said field coil, and means for differentially energizing said actuating coils, said coils being adapted to magnetically act upon the armature to move the armature to a multiplicity of indicating positions.

2. An indicating instrument comprising a EIVOtHlly mounted magnetlzable armature, a

oilow solenoid through which said armature extends, said armature being adapted to move Within said solenoid about an axis external of said solenoid, a hollow actuating coil through which said armature extends, and a second hollow actuating coil arranged 'on the side of said solenoid remote from the first actuating coil and adapted to receive another portion of said armature, said hollow solenoid being adapted to energize said armature and said actuating coils being adapted to act upon said energized armature to tend to move it in opposed directions.

3. An indicating instrument comprising an armature of magnetizable material that is bodily shiftable in the general direction of its length, a hollow solenoid through which said armature extends for magnetizing said armature, a hollow actuating coil through which said armature extends, a second actuating coil through which a difierent portion of said armature extends, said solenoid energizing said armature to substantially the smile degree at all times, and said actuating coils acting upon said energized armature to tend to move the armature in opposed directions.

4. An indicating instrument comprising a base, a hollow field coil carried thereby, a pivotally mounted magnetizable armature of arcuate form having an axis of rotation sub stantially at the center of curvature of said arn'iature, an actuating coil surrounding said armature and acting to tend to move the armature in one direction, a second actuating coil also surrounding the armature and acting to tend to move the armature in a reverse direction, and means for differentially energizing/said coils, said coils being adapted to magneticallyact upon the armature to move it to a multiplicity of indicating positions.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

- HUGH L. DECKER. 

